Online vehicle collection and play activity

ABSTRACT

An online game. More particularly, an online game in which virtual vehicles, particularly cars, may be selected, customized, and entered into races and other activities in an online community forum. In some embodiments, the online game may include a customization tutorial wherein virtual vehicles may be customized in a substantially reversible manner.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 60/355,002, filed Feb. 8, 2002, incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an online game. More particularly, theinvention relates to an online game in which virtual vehicles,particularly cars, may be selected, customized, and entered into racesand other activities in an online community forum.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Networked computer entertainment, including online games, currentlyprovide the capability of single-player, multi-player, and head-to-headcompetition in an online, networked environment. Examples of onlinegames are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,419,577; 6,325,292; 6,319,125;6,280,325; 6,251,017; 6,224,486; and WO013788, the disclosures of whichare incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.Typically, such systems are designed for participants to pay an entrancefee in order to receive access, and then to play a game in return forpossible prize rewards.

Character-based online games also exist wherein participants receive acharacter that can be directed to perform functions within a virtualuniverse, and these characters may in some instances be able to earnvirtual game credits or points, which may subsequently be exchanged foradditional attributes. Such attributes may improve the appearance and/orperformance of the character within the context of the virtual universe.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an online game, preferably provided by aweb server to a plurality of terminals in communication with the webserver through a communications network such as the internet, andavailable to users with a web browser. In one embodiment, the inventionprovides an online game interface and environment wherein a participantmay choose a customizable virtual vehicle, which may be correlated toone or more actual purchased toy vehicles, and may receive an initialamount of virtual game credits useable for customizing the virtualvehicle. A customization activity is provided whereby participants maycustomize virtual vehicles in exchange for a reduction in the amount ofvirtual game credits, and a customization tutorial is also providedwhereby participants may practice customizing virtual vehicles in asubstantially reversible manner, without a reduction in the amount ofvirtual game credits.

The invention provides a variety of online activities involvingcustomizable virtual vehicles, including both single-player andmulti-player races and non-racing games in which customizable virtualvehicles may participate. These activities provide entertainment value,and a means for earning additional virtual game credits that may be usedfor further customization of vehicles. Single-player activities includenon-racing, arcade-style game scenarios in which a virtual vehicle mayparticipate, and in which participants may be rewarded for theirperformance, and also racing games in which a participant races avirtual vehicle against a computer-controlled vehicle or against theclock. Multi-player activities include multi-player races of varioustypes in which a participant may enter their virtual vehicle and competeagainst other participants, possibly in real time through acommunications network. In the context of the invention, “real time”indicates that competing virtual vehicles are simultaneously controlledby different users during a race or other competition. Participants mayreceive additional virtual game credits based on their performance inall of these activities.

Virtual vehicles provided by the invention may be associated with ahometown. The possible hometowns may be chosen from among actual,real-world locations, or they may have substantially no correlation toactual locations. The hometown association feature offers enhancedentertainment value to participants by allowing competition betweenhometowns, in which case participants associated with a given hometownmay compete against participants associated with another hometown,possibly to establish a hometown ranking; and also by allowingcompetition between participants who are associated with the samehometown, possibly to establish an individual ranking.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent through an examination of the drawings and the detaileddescription.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a range of steps associated with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of a town center accordingto aspects of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing general steps of a race according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a graphical representation of a town center portion of apreferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a graphical representation of a vehicle customization activityin a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is another graphical representation of the vehicle customizationactivity of FIG. 5, illustrating storage of virtual spare parts.

FIG. 7 is another graphical representation of the vehicle customizationactivity of FIG. 5, illustrating installation of virtual parts.

FIG. 8 is another graphical representation of the vehicle customizationactivity of FIG. 5, illustrating an inventory of installed parts.

FIG. 9 is another graphical representation of the vehicle customizationactivity of FIG. 5, illustrating an inventory of stored spare parts.

FIG. 10 is a graphical representation of a hometown selection areaaccording to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND BEST MODE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an online collection and play activity,designed such that participants may collect and customize virtualvehicles, and enter their virtual vehicles in a variety of races andother activities.

Referring to FIG. 1, a system 100 for playing an online game isdisclosed. System 100 preferably comprises an off-server component 102,and a server 104 that in preferred embodiments is a web server.Off-server component 102 may include an actual toy vehicle 106, to bedescribed in more detail below, as well as new user registration area108 and returning user registration area 110. Participants may connectto server 104 via a communications network such as the internet,although the invention may also provide a server that is connected onlyto a local intranet, or that resides on a single processor that is notconnected to a network.

Those skilled in the relevant arts will recognize that there are manyconfigurations through which a game with an online component may be madeavailable to participants. For instance, registration areas 108 and 110may be installed on individual processors via a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, othersoftware storage media, and/or via download from the internet.Alternatively, system 100 may comprise a web server 104 which itselfincludes registration areas 108 and 110 in an integrated fashion. Or,the entire game may be stored and/or installed on a processor via anystorage medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or any other medium suitablefor storing one or more application programs.

A user may register for the game and connect to server 104 via eithernew user registration area 108 or returning user registration area 110.New user registration 108 for the online game typically includeschoosing a unique user name and password, whereas returning userregistration 110 typically includes entering an existing user name andpassword. At this point, a new user may be assigned a virtual vehiclefor participation in the game, and a returning user may typically bere-associated with one or more virtual vehicles assigned and/or acquiredthrough previous participation in the game.

Registration for the online game may be correlated to the purchase of anactual toy vehicle 106, in which case registrations 108 and/or 110 mayinclude entering a code provided in or on the packaging of toy vehicle106. Entering such a code may result in a user being assigned a virtualvehicle that represents toy vehicle 106 in various aspects, or it mayresult in a user gaining new virtual parts or game credits that may beused to customize virtual vehicles, as will be described in more detailbelow. New user registration 108 may also be configured to install adesktop shortcut 112 on a computer, providing quicker access toreturning user registration area 110 when the game is played onsubsequent occasions.

Considering an overview of the game elements provided by server 104 andstill referring to FIG. 1, system 100 comprises customization tutorial114, and the game may be configured so that new users initially entertutorial 114 in order to practice customizing a virtual vehicle beforeentering the remainder of the online game system. From customizationtutorial 114, a user may proceed to a town center 116, which mayfunction as a primary hub for the logical architecture of the game.Returning users, who have presumably already passed throughcustomization tutorial 114 at least once, may be directed straight fromregistration 110 to town center 116, without entering tutorial 114.

According to aspects of the invention, town center 116 may be designedas a primary central location from which many parts of the virtual gameuniverse are directly accessible. Various aspects of the game that maybe accessible from a town center in preferred embodiments will now bedescribed.

From town center 116, a user may navigate to racetrack entry 118 inorder to race a virtual vehicle against either a computer-generatedopponent or against one or more virtual vehicles associated with otherusers. After passing through racetrack entry 118, a user may navigate tovirtual lobby area 120, from which various races 122 may be joined.Further details of these races will be discussed below.

Also from town center 116, a user may navigate to a single-player gameentry 124, from which a plurality of single-player games 126 may bechosen, including both vehicle racing games and non-racing, arcade-stylegames.

From town center 116, a user may also navigate to a customizationactivity 128. In customization activity 128, a user may customize avirtual vehicle in exchange for virtual game credits. Specificcomponents of customization activity 128 include the purchase of a newvirtual vehicle body 130, the purchase and installation of paint anddecals 132, and the purchase of virtual parts 134. In addition, a usermay navigate to a parts installation area 136, a parts sellback area138, and an engine upgrade area 140. The customization features of thegame will be described in greater detail below.

From town center 116, a user may navigate to a records entry area 142,where records related to the performance of various users and/orvehicles may be available. Area 142 may include a race records area 144,providing the results of multi-vehicle competitions; profile search area146, from which a user may search for records related to another user;and player profile area 148, in which a user may update or alter theirown personal player profile, which may be accessible by other users.

Also from town center 116, a user may navigate to hometown selectionentry 150, from which they may proceed to select new hometown area 152,and to enter new hometown area 154. The hometown features of system 100will be described in more detail below.

An alternate embodiment of the logical structure of town center 116 isindicated in FIG. 2. In this embodiment, a user may navigate from towncenter 116 to racetrack entry 118, single-player game entry 124,customization activity 128, records entry 142, and hometown selectionentry 150, as in FIG. 1. However, customization tutorial 114 may beaccessible from customization activity 128, allowing a user to easilypass back and forth between customization activity 128 and customizationtutorial 114, so that skill in customizing a virtual vehicle may begained intermittently, while customization is underway.

A preferred set of steps that may be part of race 122 is shown in FIG.3. Components of race 122 may include a pre-race activity 156 in which auser may become familiar with a racetrack and may be given theopportunity to activate and/or deactivate certain virtual parts foroptimal performance for a particular forthcoming race. Next, a user maybe directed to a choose opponent area 158, in which characteristics ofan opponent may be specified. These characteristics may include, forexample, whether an opponent vehicle is human-controlled or entirelycomputer-controlled, an opponent's racing skill and/or experience level,and the amount of virtual credits that have been invested in anopponent's virtual vehicle.

Once pre-race activities are complete and an opponent has been selected,a race may begin with a first heat 160, and then may proceed to a secondheat 162. In a preferred embodiment, the race may continue to a thirdheat 164 if the first two heats have resulted in a 1-1 tie, but maycontinue to an end race area 166 if the first two heats have resulted ina 2-0 victory for one of the opponents. End race area 166 may includeactivities such as a detailed review of the race statistics, or it maysimply show a summary of the race results. A rematch option may beprovided after the race ends, such that choosing to have a rematch leadsto another first heat 160, and choosing not to have a rematch leads torace area 122, from which other aspects of the game such as town center116 may be accessible.

As described above, town center 116 may serve as a navigational hub forpreferred embodiments of the online game. FIG. 4 shows a graphicalrepresentation of town center 116 in a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, including graphical icons to represent many of thefeatures previously described and illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In FIG.4, racetrack entry 118 is represented by an icon resembling a racetrack,single-player game entry 124 is represented by an icon resembling avideo arcade game, customization activity 128 is represented by an iconresembling an auto mechanic's shop, records entry 142 is represented byan icon resembling a blimp, and hometown selection entry 150 isrepresented by an icon resembling a network of roads and/or tunnels.FIG. 4 also shows a graphical representation of a virtual vehicle 168,which in a preferred embodiment is a virtual car such as a virtualracecar. Town center 116 may also include a video display unit 170,which may display information such as the current hometown and thehometown population; an ocean cube 172, providing a link to underwatergames; and a scrap yard 174, which may be a location for the storage ofdamaged or destroyed vehicles and/or spare parts.

Considering in greater detail various customization features of theonline game, FIGS. 5-9 show graphical representations of customizationactivity 128 in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Notethat although FIGS. 5-9 represent aspects of customization activity 128,the features and descriptions represented therein apply equally well tocustomization tutorial 114, with exceptions that will be noted below.FIG. 5 shows customization activity 128, with virtual vehicle 168resting on a rotatable platform 176. Platform 176 is configured torotate in response to a user command such as a mouse movement, a mouseclick, or a keystroke, so that a user may examine vehicle 168 from allangles during customization. For example, on the base of platform 176,there may be a means, such as a graphical icon or rollover mechanism,that will allow vehicle 168 to be rotated in a full circle one time.

Also shown in FIG. 5 is a display screen 178, which is preferablylocated in an area either behind or to the side of vehicle 168, so thatscreen 178 does not block other aspects of customization activity 128.Screen 178 is configured to display information about various vehicleparts, indicated at 180. Information displayed on screen 178 may be fora particular part, and may include a name; a price; a rarity; a power;an energy usage; and a general description, all for that part.Preferably, screen 178 is configured to display such information in“roll-over” fashion when the cursor is located on or near acorresponding vehicle part on the screen, in a manner familiar to thoseskilled in the art of web page design.

Vehicle parts 180 may include virtual engine parts, wheels, brakes, andother conventional auto parts, as well as weapons, defensive shields,and performance enhancers of various types, some of which may have noreal world analog. Parts 180 may also include paint, decals, and othercomponents designed to augment the appearance and/or performance ofvehicle 168. Once selected, various parts may be installed in or on avirtual vehicle using robotic arm 182, which is configured to hold oneof parts 180 in its robotic jaws and then to install that part into avirtual vehicle. Upon selection of a type of part, preferably byclicking on a corresponding icon with a mouse, a sliding shelf 184 willappear, holding specific and selectable individual parts. Selecting aspecific part from shelf 184 results in the part being picked from theshelf by robotic arm 182, in preparation for installation into vehicle168.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show alternate views of customization activity 128 duringthe installation of one of parts 180, including also inventory display186. Inventory display 186 is preferably configured to remain out ofsight unless activated by a user command or a cursor movement, forexample a motion of the mouse pointer over virtual vehicle 168. Onceactivated, display 186 will slide upwards or otherwise appear, until itmay completely intervene between a user's line of sight and vehicle 168.At this point, display 186 is preferably configured to display an x-rayor other semi-transparent view of vehicle 168, as is best seen in FIGS.6-7.

If a specific vehicle part 180 has been selected, it will have beenautomatically procured by robotic arm 182, as described previously. Inthat event, clicking on a particular area of the semi-transparentrepresentation of vehicle 168, such as on the hood portion, will causethe selected part to be installed in the vehicle. Clicking on anotherarea of the semi-transparent representation of vehicle 168, such as onthe trunk portion, will cause the selected part to be stored in thevehicle for possible future use.

In either case (installation or storage), the price of the part will besubtracted from the user's total amount of virtual game credits. If theuser is merely practicing vehicle customization through the use ofcustomization tutorial 114, then the purchased part will be removed andthe virtual game credits will be restored to the user's account at theend of each operation, upon leaving tutorial 114, or at another suitabletime, so that the customization will be substantially reversible.However, if the user is customizing a virtual vehicle in customizationactivity 128, then the credits will not be restored and thecustomization will be substantially irreversible.

On the other hand, if a specific vehicle part 180 has not been selectedwhen inventory display 186 is activated, then clicking on a particulararea of the semi-transparent representation of vehicle 168, such as thehood portion, will cause an inventory of previously installed parts 188to be displayed on inventory display 186, as is indicated in FIG. 8.Similarly, clicking on another area of the semi-transparentrepresentation of vehicle 168, such as on the trunk portion, will causean inventory of purchased and stored parts 190 to be displayed oninventory display 186, as is indicated in FIG. 9.

Addressing more particularly the subject of virtual game credits, uponfirst entering system 100, or a specific portion thereof such ascustomization activity 128 and/or customization tutorial 114, a user mayreceive an initial amount of virtual game credits. These game creditsare provided for the purpose of customizing and/or upgrading virtualvehicles, and possibly for purchasing new virtual vehicles and parts. Incustomization activity 128, parts and/or other customization featuresare obtained by a user in return for a reduction in the amount ofvirtual game credits, and this reduction and the correspondingmodifications made to a virtual vehicle are substantially irreversible.In tutorial 114, however, any reduction in the amount of virtual gamecredits provided will be reversed before a user leaves the tutorial,since a purpose of the tutorial is to allow reversible customization ofa virtual vehicle for practice purposes. In this way, a user maydetermine how to add paint, stickers, decals, car parts, weapons andother components to a virtual vehicle using trial-and-error, in asubstantially reversible way. Also, a user may determine exactly whichcombination of these various components they prefer to spend theirvirtual game credits on, as the amount initially provided is limited.

Increases in a user's amount of virtual game credits may occur as aresult of being declared a winner in a competition such as amulti-player race, and for participation and/or performance in varioussingle-player activities. The amount of virtual game credits availableto a user will determine their ability to further customize theirvirtual vehicles, to purchase and customize new virtual vehicles, andthus to advance in skill and experience within the virtual online gameprovided by system 100.

Considering now more details regarding hometown selection entry area150, recall that this area leads to hometown selection area 152 and newhometown entry area 154. A graphical representation of a preferredembodiment of hometown selection area 152 is shown in FIG. 10. Thisselection area may include a display 192 showing various informationabout a user such as a user name, current hometown, player rank,available game credits, and so forth, as well as a link back to towncenter 116 and/or other areas of system 100. This information may besimilar or identical in content to information available in playerprofile area 148, which is reached through record entry area 142. Inaddition, hometown selection area 152 may include a graphicalrepresentation of a fork 194 in a road, or other similar dividing point,indicating that choices are available as to a next hometown destination.

Selection of a new hometown may result simply from clicking on a branchof fork 194, or the various branches of fork 194 may be labeled withnames or icons representing other hometowns (not indicated in thefigures). Preferably, a hometown selection window 196 or other similarmeans is provided, possibly associated with a “roll-over” feature, tofacilitate selection of a new hometown. The selection of a hometown mayaugment participation in the online game as follows. In someembodiments, a user may compete in races against other users associatedwith the same hometown, and receive an individual performance rankingwithin their hometown as a result of the outcomes of these competitions.On the other hand, members of a given hometown may challenge members ofanother hometown to competitive races, the outcomes of which may be usedto determine a hometown performance ranking relative to other hometowns.In this manner, competition, teamwork and loyalty are all evoked withinthe context of an online game experience.

In addition to the components described above, the present inventioncomprises various audio elements designed to enhance a user's experienceof the game. In a preferred embodiment, every time a user presses abutton or makes a selection of some kind, a brief sound plays, as willnow be described in greater detail.

A “Quiet Click” sound may result from relatively insignificant actionssuch as toggling a setting on and off. This sound may be heard ratherfrequently, and may therefore be chosen to be a generic clicking sound.This sound can also be used for mouse-down states. A “Standard Click”sound may result from more significant actions, such as canceling aprocess. This may also be a generic click sound, but louder than a“Quiet Click”. An “Important Click” is a sound that may play when a userhas completed a process or action, such as clicking on a button thatwill take a user to a new location within system 100. An “Error Sound”may play when a user attempts an action that is incorrect or illegal,such as trying to purchase a virtual part that requires a greater amountof virtual game credits than the user currently has available. “PlaceSounds” may be played that are correlated to various virtual locationswithin the game. For example, when a player first enters a new sectionof the game, a brief background sound may play, setting the scene forthe new section. A background sound may comprise a 2-5 second sound thatsets a mood and theme for the section. The table below shows componentsof the game, along with possible “Place Sounds”, according to apreferred embodiment of the invention: Game Component “Place Sound”entering town center busy traffic entering customization area machineshop tools entering blimp “light saber” sound entering racetrack enginerevving entering arcade video game sound effects

A player's experience and skill at playing the various games that arecomprised by the invention may be tabulated by a system of points andskill levels. Points may be awarded for performance in bothsingle-player and multi-player games and races, and a player may beassigned a particular skill level according to the total number ofpoints accumulated. In a preferred embodiment, there are seven levels inthe game (1-7), and a user's level is based on the total number ofpoints that a user has accumulated over time. The following chartindicates the total number of points that may be necessary to achievedifferent levels. User Level Total Points Level 1 0 Level 2 100 Level 31,000 Level 4 10,000 Level 5 100,000 Level 6 500,000 Level 7 1,000,000In addition, new levels (level 8, level 9, Master level, etc.) may becreated to accommodate more advanced users. In a preferred embodiment,level may play a role in the game in the following ways:

-   -   When users race, they may be automatically matched up against        other users of the same level.

The number of engine upgrades a user can make on a particular engine maybe determined by level. A Level 1 engine may begin with 10 points, andeach level may allow for two engine upgrades of two energy each, for amaximum total of 4 additional energy points per level. This means thatthe maximum engine energy totals may be as follows: User Level MaximumTotal Energy Level 1 14 Level 2 18 Level 3 22 Level 4 26 Level 5 30Level 6 34 Level 7 38

It is believed that the disclosure set forth above encompasses multipledistinct inventions with independent utility. While each of theseinventions has been disclosed in its preferred form, the specificembodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to beconsidered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. Thesubject matter of the inventions includes all novel and non-obviouscombinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features,functions and/or properties disclosed herein. Similarly, where theclaims recite “a” or “a first” element or the equivalent thereof, suchclaims should be understood to include incorporation of one or more suchelements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements.

Inventions embodied in various combinations and subcombinations offeatures, functions, elements and/or properties may be claimed in arelated application. Such claims, whether they are directed to adifferent invention or directed to the same invention, whetherdifferent, broader, narrower or equal in scope to any original claims,are also regarded as included within the subject matter of theinventions of the present disclosure.

1-28. (cancelled)
 29. An online entertainment system comprising: a webserver accessible through a communications network; and a game providedby the web server, said game configured to receive a code provided witha toy vehicle, said game providing at least one virtual racecar thatrepresents said toy vehicle in a plurality of aspects based on saidcode.
 30. The online entertainment system of claim 29, whereinassignment of said at least one virtual racecar that represents said toyvehicle is based on said code.
 31. The online entertainment system ofclaim 29, wherein said at least one virtual racecar may be customized.32. The online entertainment system of claim 29, wherein said codeprovides access to virtual parts or game credits that may be used tocustomize said virtual racecar.
 33. The online entertainment system ofclaim 29, wherein said racecar can be raced by a user.
 34. An onlineentertainment system comprising: a web server accessible through acommunications network; and where the system creates an environment,said system configured to receive a code provided with a toy vehicle,said environment providing at least one virtual vehicle that representssaid toy vehicle in a at least one aspect based on said code.
 35. Theonline entertainment system of claim 34, wherein a participant maycustomize said virtual vehicle based on said code.
 36. The onlineentertainment system of claim 34, wherein said virtual vehiclecorrelates to said toy vehicle.
 37. The online entertainment system ofclaim 34, wherein the system displays information about one of said toyvehicle and said virtual vehicle.
 38. An online entertainment systemcomprising: a web server accessible through a communications network;and a game provided by the web server, said game configured to receive acode provided with a toy vehicle, said game providing at least onevirtual vehicle that represents said toy vehicle in a plurality ofaspects based on said code.
 39. The online entertainment system of claim38, wherein assignment of said at least one virtual vehicle thatrepresents said toy vehicle is based on said code.
 40. The onlineentertainment system of claim 38, wherein said at least one virtualvehicle may be customized.
 41. The online entertainment system of claim38, wherein said code provides access to virtual parts or game creditsthat may be used to customize said virtual vehicle.
 42. The onlineentertainment system of claim 38, wherein said vehicle is a racecar thatcan be raced by a user.